Anxiety General Blog (52)

Anxiety is many things. Those of us that struggle with it would never name any of those things in a positive manner. Instead we would say things like, anxiety is... Tormenting Suffering Burdening Painful Exhausting Scary Confusing Lonely Life altering (negatively) ...amongst many other negative things. But, what if I told you that anxiety can also be... Inspiring Enlightening Empathetic Growth providing Strength Building Clarifying Life altering (positively) Would you believe me? Somebody in the middle of an anxiety episode would probably say no. But here's the kicker...its in the middle of our anxiety, smack dab in the core of its intensity, that we can experience those exact things. That's right. Instead of feeling and experiencing all of those negative things, we can experience the positive ones. Or at the very least, we can have both. Now before you write me off as crazy, or someone who just doesn't understand, hear me out. This advice is not coming from someone on the outside who has no clue what it is like to suffer the anguish of anxiety. To the contrary, I have been at the brunt of anxiety and its many forms (panic, generalized, social, health related, phobias, OCD) for as long as I can remember. To make matters worse, I did not understand what it even was until I was in my 20's. Up until then I walked around internalizing everything and wondering if I truly was crazy. And, 6 years later, I am still…

It all started eighteen years ago and life has not been the same since. I was diagnosed with my first case of hyperparathyroidism which was actually a relief considering it took me nine months to figure something was actually wrong with me. I went to several doctors and at least five different specialist and they all said it was stress and it was life. They were all wrong, not their fault but they seemed it was better to label it as something instead of not knowing. After more test they confirmed the tumor and removed it. It was a quick surgery and I was out of the hospital in two days. The main problem besides the tumor was the extreme intense anxiety attacks I have been having. I never knew something like that was possible. That feeling was so powerful and I never felt that scared and helpless. The doctors told me that I didn't need medicine and I would slowely go back to feeling myself. It took about 2 years from the time of my first panic attack to get to my surgery. After surgery it was slow but I slowely started to feel a little better. It just about ruined my baseball career and almost my drumming career. The one thing about playing in a band was I could drink during shows which would completly eliminate any panic. Which of course can be problem down the road which it eventually did. After another eight years I started…

I've been bothered by intrusive thoughts lately and they are not your run-of-the-mill brain farts. They're the kind of thoughts that when it crossed you it will make you go ''What the f*ck was that about?'', ''Oh, gross'' or just plain ''No.'' pair that with anxiety and you got yourself one hell of a horror ride. Fortunately, they do go away, and your logical sense, and maybe even your sense of humor will rise above this distressing thoughts. Mine started when I was about to go to sleep, I remember that I was feeling pretty tense already and one thought popped into my head ''I think I'm going crazy''. My body immediately responded with an increased heart rate and further anxious thinking about going nuts. I went downstairs to see who I could talk to and expected it to be my brother as he is a night owl. I told him what was happening. Unfortunately my brother is very skilled at being a douche to me and told me scoffed at me and ignored me. From then on the intrusive thoughts have varied from afraid of bieng Schizophrenic, Suicidal, Incestuous, Murderous, and Ridiculous. Now, I would like to elaborate what triggered them so we can see how what anxiety does to you, how it blows everything out of proportion The Schizophrenic fear I acquired when I was studying for the Psychometrician Licensure Exam (I passed by the way), and the topics involved abnormal psychology, so there we go. The Suicidal…

First of all I would like to say I am sharing this personal experience because I think this insight can help others suffering from anxiety. This post does not represent in any way the opinion of AnxietySocialNet as an institution. It is purely my subjective account of my experience on my first Ayahuasca experience. Even though I am the founder of Anxiety Social Net I am also a user like any other and as such I want to share this personal experience with the community. There are certainly some risks especially for people taking medications or with a history of mental illness; you should consult your physician before trying any type of new therapeutic approach. Out of the closet I've been meaning to talk about my experiences with psychedelics for a while, since they've been of great help for my own anxiety. For the last 2 years I’ve been seeing the general unconformity from ASN users with traditional approaches (especially with the psychiatric approach) and I really feel that I cannot withhold anymore the information I've been gathering in regards to anxiety and psychedelics. It is my brief that responsible use of psychedelics in the right setting may hold the key for real long term results in the treatment of anxiety, several new studies are confirming what I know from my own experience and it is time for me to take action and share this information with this community which I love and respect. The set (me) As some of…

The Prevalence of Anxiety Anyone who has experienced anxiety, and according to statistics that’s almost 1 in 10 of us at any one time in the UK, knows that it is much more than a state of mind. Characterised by tension, worry, restlessness, irritability, insomnia and an array of other symptoms, it can severely impact on everyday life. Whilst there are a multitude of drugs targeted to treat and manage this condition, for those who want to take a more natural approach, can anything be done through food and nutrition? Supporting Anxiety through Diet When stressed and feeling anxious, the temptation is to go straight for the quick fix- the caffeine, the sugar, the slice of cake that’s going to give you a big hug from within! However, the “high” these types of food bring are short-lived, and the energy crash that inevitably follows can leave you feeling jittery and even more anxious than before. A kinder approach to your body is to eat foods that settle, not stimulate your anxiety. By making choices that nourish your adrenals (the glands that regulate your bodies’ response to stress), support your nervous system, and keep your blood sugar levels balanced, your body will be best equipped to deal with everything that life throws at it. So eat your way to calm, with the following nutrient-rich, anxiety-busting foods that expert recommend: Top 5 Anxiety Foods 1) Salmon and other oily fish are bursting with omega-3 fatty acids. An increased intake of omega-3s…

It’s a dark and stormy night at sea. I’m on a sailboat not meant to be in rough waters like this. One high wave too many hits the boat and I’m knocked overboard. The rain is pouring down around me as I struggle to stay above the surface of the water. It’s icy cold and the waves keep pounding me under again and again, forcing more of the freezing, salty liquid into my already burning lungs. I finally break the surface and scream as loud as I can to my husband Jeremy, who is still on the boat. He tosses me a life raft, but it is just out of my reach. He pulls it back to the boat, looks at me and then turns and walks away, leaving me to drown or survive on my own. I’m all alone in the sea of emptiness and despair. The boat is getting further and further away. I can barely make it out and can only catch a glimpse of it when the lightning strikes. Suddenly, it is gone, and another black wave devours me and pulls me under. This time, I don’t fight it. I stay under and let the coldness and pain consume me. No one cares if I live or die so why should I? The cold embrace of nothingness begins to creep into my body. I feel weightless, sinking in the ocean I used to love, but now am dying in. I feel so weightless now I think…

Well, here goes - my first diary post. I have always been a quiet person. Very private and very shy toward other people. When I was growing up, I had issues with my friends all because as my father so befittingly pointed out - I was acting the way I thought they wanted me to act. How observant he was then..and still is today. Now he tells me that I could not cope without a dog in the house-hold. Again he is not only observant, yet accurate to boot. My two dogs greeted me the day I came home from having breast surgery for breast cancer. I had a drain hanging out of my right side and we took all precautions so that I would not have any accidents with it. That I would get into the house without them pushing me down like Dino did to Fred Flintsone! It was a good challenge and we actually made it into the house, then into the loungeroom and onto the lounge. "Phew" I said "that was a blessing" then the phone rang.. It was my birthday you see, and I had been allowed home with one drain. I was told that the Home-Care nurses would visit me on daily basis to check the drain and ensure everything was fine. When the phone rang I expected it to be my mother. It wasn't it was a friend who rang me to wish me happy birthday. He then went into length about how he…

Here I am almost 40yrs old and still dealing with Social Anxiety Disorder. I realize that finding the root cause of my anxiety is the first major step in overcoming it. My anxiety started when I was about 12 and started viewing myself differently. I didn’t like my smile or my voice and I felt I was too skinny. My self esteem became very low and I often compared myself to others. I was in honor classes but would never like to read in class because I felt people would see all my imperfections. Whenever they called on me, I struggled through darn-near severe panic attacks; voice cracking and all. It was humiliating and I started avoiding it any time I could. At the age of 14, my father disowned me. He was the only light in my dark low esteem world and I was always daddy's little girl up until then. But because he didn’t want to continue paying child support for, he actually told me "you are not mine." It devastated me to the core. It was the ultimate rejection that just added fuel to my already damaged esteem; I wasnt even good enough for my father to want. He spent the next few years of his life totally ignoring me. I started writing to express myself and hid how I felt to others. About 10 yrs ago I decided it was time to address it so I did small things to face my fears. Being a writer opened up many…